Kitchen utensil

ABSTRACT

A kitchen utensil ( 400 ) has a receptacle ( 405 ) and at least one handle ( 420 ) connected to the receptacle ( 405 ), a predominant portion of the handle ( 420 ) being divided along a substantially longitudinal direction (A) into a first portion ( 425 ) and a second portion ( 430 ) which fit together at least partially along the longitudinal direction (A) and each of which is articulated to the receptacle ( 405 ) for pivoting between a rest position in which it is disposed with a free end in the vicinity of the receptacle ( 405 ) thus reducing the bulk of the utensil, and a working position in which the first portion and the second portion ( 425, 430 ) are joined together so that the handle ( 420 ) forms a substantially unitary element firmly fixed to the receptacle ( 405 ) for firm gripping of the utensil.

The present invention relates to a kitchen utensil and, in particular,to a kitchen utensil comprising a receptacle and at least one handleconnected to the receptacle.

A kitchen utensil such as, for example, a pan, used for cooking foodgenerally has a long handle extending radially from a receptacle of thepan which holds the food.

A problem with kitchen utensils of this type is that they are extremelybulky. This means that large boxes have to be used for packaging themand it is quite difficult to arrange the pans in a dishwasher; moreover,the handle projecting from the receptacle takes up a considerable amountof space in kitchen cupboards and makes it extremely difficult toarrange the pans in an orderly manner.

A known solution consists of the use of a handle articulated to an upperedge of the receptacle of the pan. When the pan is not in use, thehandle is pivoted about a horizontal axis until it is disposed insidethe receptacle, thus reducing the space occupied by the pan.

A disadvantage of this known kitchen utensil is that the handle is notconnected rigidly to the receptacle; this makes the pan extremelyinconvenient and dangerous to use since accidental movements of thereceptacle relative to the handle during the cooking of food may causevery hot substances, particularly liquids, to spill from the pan.Moreover, the handle closed inside the pan makes it difficult to stackseveral utensils vertically, for example in kitchen cupboards.

The object of the present invention is to prevent the aforementionedproblems.

From U.S. Pat. No. 3,813,003 a kitchen utensil is known comprising areceptacle and one handle connected to the receptacle and formed by afirst member and a second member, each member being articulated to thereceptacle for pivoting between a rest position in which it is disposedwith a free end in the vicinity of the receptacle and a working positionin which the first and second members are joined together.

According to the invention, a kitchen utensil is provided as describedwith reference to said prior document U.S. Pat. No. 3,813,003,characterised in that said members are constituted by two portions ofthe handle obtained by dividing correspondingly at least a predominantpart thereof, wherein in said working position said portions of thehandle fit together at least partially and form a substantially unitaryelement firmly fixed to the receptacle and extending along asubstantially longitudinal direction.

For a better understanding, two embodiments of the present invention aredescribed below, by way of non-limiting example, with reference to theappended drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a kitchen utensil according to thepresent invention,

FIG. 2 is a view from below of an embodiment of the connection of thehandle to the receptacle of the kitchen utensil of FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is a side view of the connection of FIG. 2, sectioned on the lineIII—III,

FIG. 4 shows in perspective a kitchen utensil of the same type as thatof the previous drawings, with differences in the handle and in theconnection of the handle to the container body,

FIG. 5 shows the handle of the container of FIG. 4 from below,

FIG. 6 is a side view of the handle of FIG. 5, partially sectioned onthe line VI—VI,

FIG. 7 is a transverse section of the handle of FIG. 5, taken on theline VII—VII.

With reference in particular to FIG. 1, this shows a pan 100 having areceptacle 105 used for holding food during cooking. The receptacle 105(which, typically, is made of aluminium, steel or another materialsuitable for fire or heat) is constituted by a flat base 110 and by aside wall 115, and is of a slightly flared, circular shape. A block 117fixed to the receptacle 105 extends radially outwards enabling a handle120 used for the gripping and handling of the pan 100 to be connected tothe receptacle 105. Typically, the handle 120 extends radially from thereceptacle 105 and is parallel or slightly inclined (for example at 15°)to the base 110.

The handle 120 is divided longitudinally into two portions orhalf-handles 125 and 130 fitting together along a plane perpendicular tothe base 110 and extending through a longitudinal axis A of the handle120. Each half-handle 125, 130 is articulated to the receptacle 105 inthe vicinity of a free end of the fixing block 117 so as to be pivotablerelative to the receptacle 105 about an axis indicated B for thehalf-handle 125 and C for the half-handle 130; the pivot axes B and Care preferably perpendicular or slightly inclined (but not parallel) tothe base 110. Alternatively, the handle may include an inner portionfixed to the fixing block, whereas a substantial outer portion of thehandle may be divided into two portions articulated to the inner portionof the handle.

Each of the half-handles 125, 130 is movable between a working position(shown in continuous outline) and a rest position (shown in brokenoutline). In the working position, the half-handles 125, 130 are joinedtogether, with the inner wall 141 of the half-handle 125 in abutmentwith the corresponding inner wall 142 of the half-handle 130. The unitformed by the half-handles 125, 130 cannot therefore move relative tothe fixing block 117 so that the handle 120 is a substantially unitaryelement firmly fixed to the receptacle 105. In a preferred embodiment ofthe present invention, one or more cap-shaped spherical projections 145(two in the embodiment shown in the drawings) project from the innerwall 141 and mate with corresponding recesses 150 formed in the innerwall 142; alternatively, other equivalent elements are provided forpreventing relative translation of the half-handles 125, 130 along thelongitudinal axis A.

The pan 100 is thus particularly safe in use since relative movementsbetween the handle 120 and the receptacle 105 are not possible in theworking position. Moreover, it should be noted that no mechanism isrequired for locking the half-handles 125, 130 in the working positionsince, when the pan 100 is in use, the half-handles 125, 130 are in anycase held together by the user's grip. In any case, it is possible toprovide, for example, a magnetic pin on one half-handle for engaging amatching seat (with an iron plate disposed in its base) formed in theother half-handle, or other equivalent locking means.

In a rest condition, the half-handle 125 and the half-handle 130 arepivoted anticlockwise and clockwise, respectively, so as to be separatedand disposed with their free ends in the vicinity of the receptacle 105.When the pan 100 is not in use, its size is thus considerably reduced sothat it occupies a much smaller space in kitchen cupboards and in adishwasher and it can be housed in packaging of limited dimensions.

The pan 100 described above can be used extremely easily andintuitively. Moreover, the pan can be manufactured easily andinexpensively.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the half-handles125, 130 abut the side wall 115 externally in the rest position. Thehalf-handles 125, 130 thus occupy no space inside the receptacle 105,enabling several pans to be stacked vertically. Moreover, this enablesthe half-handles 125, 130 to be brought to the rest position even withthe pan 100 in use and containing food, immediately reducing the spaceoccupied by the pan 100, for example, in an oven. In this case, sincethe half-handles 125, 130 are articulated to the fixing block 117 atpoints spaced from the side wall 115, they are free to pivot through anangle greater than 90° before abutting the side wall 115; thehalf-handles are thus inclined to one another by an angle well below180° in the rest position, so that the space occupied by the pan 100fits the shape of the kitchen cupboards in an optimal manner, enablingthe pans to be arranged in an extremely orderly manner therein. Thepresent invention may, however, also be implemented with half-handleswhich are disposed within the receptacle, above an upper edge thereof,in the rest position, even with their free ends in contact.

The half-handles 125, 130 advantageously have respective hook-shapedrecesses 160 and 165 in the vicinity of their free ends, the recessesforming a through-hole in the handle 120 when the half-handles 125, 130are joined together; each recess 160, 165 enables the pan 100 to be hungup (for example, on a suitable hook) without risk of coming off.Moreover, the recesses 160, 165 facilitate the separation of thehalf-handles 125, 130.

FIGS. 2 and 3 (elements already shown in FIG. 1 are identified by thesame reference numerals therein) show an embodiment of the fixing block117. The block 117 includes a nut 210 welded (or fixed with rivets) tothe outside of the side wall 115 of the receptacle 105 so that the axisof a threaded hole thereof is parallel to the base 110. An element 215(for example made of aluminium) for supporting the half-handles 125, 130is engaged on the nut 210 and has a main solid portion which has arecess fitting the nut 210 and in which a through-hole 220 coaxial withthe nut 210 is formed. A tubular connecting element 230 (typically witha rectangular cross section) is fitted between the side wall 115 and alocating step formed on the main portion of the support element 215. Twoparallel flanges, that is, a lower flange indicated 225 and another,upper flange indicated 226, extend from the main portion of the supportelement 215. Two through-holes 240 and 241 are formed in the lowerflange 225 and are coaxial with two holes 245 and 246 formed in theupper flange 226. Each pair of corresponding holes 240, 245 and 241, 246houses a pin, indicated 250 or 251, respectively, which defines acylindrical hinge for the connection of the corresponding half-handle125 or 130. Two grooves 255 and 256 are formed in respectivehalf-handles 125 and 130 and, when the half-handles 125, 130 arearranged opposite one another at an angle of 180°, the grooves 255, 256define an opening 260 for the insertion of a screw 265. The screw 265 isinserted in the hole 220 and is screwed into the nut 210 so as to clampthe support element 215 to the receptacle 105.

The fixing block 117 described above is extremely simple and inexpensive(since it uses standard parts which can be mass produced at low cost)and can be adapted to a receptacle 105 of any shape by means of thetubular element 230. Moreover, it should be noted that, when thehalf-handles 125, 130 are joined together in the working position, thescrew 265 is not visible from the exterior, achieving an excellentaesthetic effect.

FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 show another pan, indicated 400, comprising areceptacle. 405 and a handle 420, in which the handle and its attachmentto the receptacle differ from those described above.

In particular, the fixing block 417 is constituted by a single hollowbody, for example, of aluminium, fixed to the receptacle 405 by means ofrivets 418. This fixing block is particularly simple, inexpensive andadaptable to receptacles of any shape.

With regard to the handle 420, the two half-handles 425 and 430 arearticulated to the block 417 in the manner described in the precedingembodiment, that is, by means of two pins 470 and 471 fixed between alower flange 475 and an upper flange 476 of the block 417, respectively.It should be added that the two half-handles 425 and 430 have, in theregion of the articulation, two respective stop ends 480, 485 each ofwhich abuts an inner wall of the block 417 when the respectivehalf-handle is in the working position.

However, the configuration of these half-handles 425 and 430 differsfrom the previous embodiment.

In particular, a projection 445′ shaped like an arc of a circle isformed in the inner wall 441 of the half-handle 425 adjacent a similarlyarc-shaped recess 450′; similarly, a recess 450″ and a projection 445″both shaped like arcs of circles, are formed adjacent one another in theinner wall 442 of the half-handle 430 and are coupled with theprojection 445′ and with the recess 450′ of the other half-handle 425,respectively. As shown in FIG. 7, the projection 445′ of the half-handle425 is coupled with the recess 450″ of the other half-handle 430 bysnap-engagement, by means of suitable interfering portions 446′ and 451″of the projection 445′ and of the recess 450″, respectively; theprojection 445″ and the recess 450′ are also coupled withsnap-engagement by means of interfering portions identical to theprevious ones. Engagement is permitted by small amounts of play betweenthe two half-handles. The size of the projecting portions is such thatthey are released by a minimal effort to open out the half-handles.

The coupling of the two half-handles 425, 430 is very firm.

In the half-handle 425 there is a eyelet-like portion 490 half of whichprojects from the inner wall 441 of the half-handle and is housed in arecess 495 of the other half-handle 430. This eyelet-like portion 490can be used to hang the pan on a suitable hook.

Clearly further variants and/or additions to the embodiments describedand illustrated are possible.

Snap-engagement means between the two half-handles may also be providedin the pan 100, as in the pan 400. The snap-engagement means may be ofany type and may even be resilient.

In general, further configurations of the fixing block and of the twohalf-handles falling within the scope of the present invention may beprovided in addition to those already described.

The handle may be divided into symmetrical or non-symmetrical portionsand these portions may be divided in a plane parallel to the base of thecontainer and articulated at different points to prevent pivoting of thehandle when they are joined together, etc.

The invention described above is applicable, with clear modifications,to utensils of any type, for example, to a saucepan, a pot, a fryingpan, a grill pan, etc. The utensil may also be of any shape.

What is claimed is:
 1. A kitchen utensil comprising a receptacle and atleast one handle connected to the receptacle, wherein the handle isdivided along a longitudinal axis of the handle into at least a firstportion and a second portion, each of the first and second handleportions being articulated to the receptacle to pivot in a plane whichis coplanar relative to the longitudinal axis of the handle between arest position in which each of the first and second handle portions isdisposed with a free end in a vicinity of the receptacle and a workingposition in which each of the first and second handle portions matinglyengage each other in a continuous manner along the longitudinal axis ofthe handle to form a unitary element that is firmly fixed to thereceptacle.
 2. A kitchen utensil according to claim 1, wherein thehandle portions are joined together by snap-engagement.
 3. A kitchenutensil according to claim 1 wherein each of the first and second handleportions is pivotable about an axis that is not parallel to a base ofthe receptacle.
 4. A kitchen utensil according to claim 3, wherein thefirst and second handle portions are divided from one another in a planeperpendicular to the base of the receptacle and extending through thelongitudinal axis of the handle, wherein the first and second portionsabut one another in the working position.
 5. A kitchen utensil accordingto claim 4, further comprising means for preventing relative translationof the first and second handle portions along the longitudinal axis ofthe handle in the working position.
 6. A kitchen utensil according toclaim 1, wherein the first and second handle portions abut a side wallof the receptacle in the rest position.
 7. A kitchen utensil accordingto claim 1, wherein each of the first and second handle portionsinclude, in the vicinity of the free end thereof, a hook-shaped recessto hang the kitchen utensil.
 8. A kitchen utensil according to claim 1,further comprising a fixing block fixed to the receptacle and extendingradially outwards, the first and second handle portions beingarticulated to the receptacle in a vicinity of a free end of the fixingblock.
 9. A kitchen utensil (100) according to claim 8, wherein thefixing block (117) includes a nut (210) fixed to the side wall (115) ofthe receptacle (105), a support element (215) engaged on the nut (210)in order to support the first and second portions (125, 130) and havinga through-hole (220) coaxial with the nut (210), and a screw (265)inserted in the through-hole (220) and screwed into the nut (210) inorder to clamp the support element (215) to the receptacle (105).
 10. Akitchen utensil (100) according to claim 9, further comprising a tubularconnecting element (230) fitted between the side wall (115) of thereceptacle (105) and the support element (215).
 11. A kitchen utensil(100) according to claim 9, wherein the first and second handle portions(125, 130) include a first groove (255) and a second groove (256),respectively, defining an opening (260) for the insertion of the screw(265) when the first and second handle portions (125, 130) are disposedopposite one another.
 12. A kitchen utensil (100) according to claim 9,wherein the support element (215) includes a first flange (225) in whicha first hole (240) and a second hole (241) are formed, and a secondflange (226) which is parallel to the first flange (225) and in which athird hole (245) and a fourth hole (246) coaxial with the first hole(240) and with the second hole (241), respectively, are formed, thefirst and third holes (240, 245) housing a first pin (250) forconnecting the first handle portion (125) and the second and fourthholes (241, 246) housing a second pin (251) for connecting the secondhandle portion (130).
 13. A kitchen utensil according to claim 8,wherein the fixing block comprises a single hollow body fixed to thereceptacle by at least one rivet.
 14. A kitchen utensil according toclaim 8, wherein each of the first and second handle portions comprisestop means which abut an inner wall of the fixing block when the handleis in the working position.
 15. A kitchen utensil according to claim 5,wherein the means for preventing relative translation of the two handleportions comprise at least one projection formed in an inner wall of oneof the first and second handle portions and is coupled with acorresponding recess formed in an inner wall of the other of the firstand second handle portions.
 16. A kitchen utensil (100) according toclaim 15, wherein the projection (145) and the recess (150) are shapedlike spherical caps.
 17. A kitchen utensil according to claim 15,wherein the projection and the recess are arc shaped.
 18. A kitchenutensil according to claim 15, wherein the projection and the recesshave interfering portions coupled by snap-engagement.
 19. A kitchenutensil according to claim 1, wherein one of the first and second handleportions include, in the vicinity of the free end, a projection housedin a corresponding recess in the other handle portion and in which ahole is formed to hang the utensil.
 20. A kitchen utensil according toclaim 1, wherein the free end of the first and second handle portions isremote from the receptacle when the first and second handles are in theworking position.